Philadelphia School Board Testimony
Priyanka Reyes-Kaura, K12 Policy Director, Children First
August 22, 2024

My name is Priyanka Reyes-Kaura and I work at Children First as the K-12 Education Policy Director. Children First is one of the advocacy organizations in the statewide coalition PA Schools Work that has been fighting for fair funding for schools for years.

Thank you to the school board members and community members who advocated for increased funding from the state this year. Philadelphia’s students need and deserve fair funding.

This school year, the School District of Philadelphia has received $232 million in new state funds this year. Out of that, $137 million is earmarked as adequacy funding. This funding represents 11% of the total adequacy gap and we are going to need to keep fighting for more.

This funding must be used on one of 27 uses outlined in the school code based on evidence of what works for students. These uses include things that the community has been asking for, for decades, including reduced class sizes and access to high-quality kindergarten, targeted tutoring programs, and supports for English learners and students with disabilities.

It is essential that we use the district uses this new funding for evidence-based programming that will contribute to students’ well-being and ability to learn.

Parents and community members want transparency. We want to know how and what decisions are being made for where these new funds will be spent. Please report on how these new funds are being used for staffing or programming. Tell Philadelphia that the funding we fought so hard for will go to GOOD use supporting student learning. In school board meetings please update us regularly on the impact of these new state funds.

This is an opportunity to build trust and connection within Philadelphia. And, the whole state will be looking to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest school district, to see how these funds are used to transform outcomes for our students.

Thank you.